by Belloc · Cluster: History · Catholicism · Europe
Abstract
Belloc’s 1920 introductory essay to John Theodore Tussaud’s book, arguing that the waxwork collection is a uniquely valuable piece of contemporary historical evidence rooted in the French Revolution. He meditates on the wax medium and reality versus illusion, revises the popular ‘orthodox’ myth of the Terror (Carnot not Robespierre), and dwells on the ironic tragedy of Marie Antoinette and the Bourbons destroyed by publicity.
Testo / Text
Parti / Parts
Connections
Forms & Genres: Essay, History, Nonfiction Themes & Concepts: Appearance vs Reality, Fame and Publicity, Memory and Time, Mortality, Popular Revolution, Transience Motifs: Death, Mirror, Time Historical References: French Revolution, Napoleonic Wars the Navy, Napoleon Settings: Paris, France, Europe Characters: Robespierre, Napoleon, Voltaire, Duke of Wellington Archetypes: Tragic Hero Topoi: Sic Transit Gloria Mundi, Fortune’s Wheel